Washington boasts a great diversity of native plants. These  plants are an important resource and necessary part of our ecosystem. They provide habitat for birds, insects and wildlife.  They help limit erosion on steep slopes. They can provide filtering for water runoff and protect fragile stream banks and wetland areas. They are the greenery that makes the Pacific Northwest the lush green paradise that it is.  

Native plants make a wonderful addition to the home garden. They offer seasonal color and interest with interesting blossoms, fruits/berries, and a variety of foliage textures and shapes. Some native plants have foliage that offers varied colors during different seasons. Many native plants provide food to birds (and some have tasty fruit for us humans to enjoy as well!)  

If you have a shady area, many native plants, used to growing under the forest canopy make a good choice for these parts of the yard.  
   

Vaccinium ovatum (Evergreen Huckleberry) is handsome plant with glossy evergreen foliage that looks good all year. The spring flowers are whitish pink bell shapes. The dark blue-black berries are slightly sweet, offering food for birds and a treat for the gardener. In winter months, the foliage takes on bronze burgundy hues and provides a spot of color. Evergreen huckleberry will tolerate sun or part shade, a variety of soils and is quite drought tolerant when established.  
Height can vary from 2’-3’ in sun, to over 6’ in shade. Other medium growers such as mahonia aquifolium (oregon grape), polystichum munitum (western swordfern) rosa gymnocarpa (baldhip rose) make a colorful addition to the ornamental garden.  

Selections such as holodiscus discolor(oceanspray), amelanchier (serviceberry), symphiocarpus albus (snowberrr), myrica californica (pacific wax myrtle) make interesting transitions to adjoining native areas.  

For groundcovers, or foreground interest, a favorite is Blechnum spicant (Deer Fern). Smaller than the Western Sword Ferns it can be planted along a path in shade or part shade and is evergreen. Other choices are the lower growing mahonias (m. nervosa, m. repans), gaultheria shallon (salaal) for larger areas and arctostaphyllos uva ursi (kinnick kinnick) for sunny slopes.

Native plants need little maintenance or irrigation once they are established. Most are fairly drought tolerant but they will benefit from watering during the first couple of growing seasons after planting.

Washington state governor Christine Gregoire has proclaimed the week of April 27th-May 3rd, 2008 as Native Plant Appreciation Week. Celebrate this by adding a few native plants to your own garden! For information about the weeks activities, visit the Washington Native Plant Society at www.wnps.org.

Not sure how to work native plants into your garden? Contact me at  pnw135@verizon.net for a garden consultation.